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Singer/Actress Eartha Kitt died

Singer and actress Eartha Kitt has died, her publicist, Patty Freedman, told CNN on Thursday.Actress Eartha Kitt, performed almost until the end of her life.

Kitt, 81, died in New York, where she was being treated for colon cancer, Freedman said. Her daughter, Kitt Shapiro, was by her side.

She was performing almost until the end, taping a PBS special six weeks ago in Chicago, Illinois. The show is set to air in February.

Her recording of the saucy Christmas song “Santa Baby” was certified gold last week.

Kitt was well known for her distinctive voice and made a name for herself in her portrayal of Catwoman in the television series “Batman.” That role produced Kitt’s recognizable sultry cat growl.

She worked in film, theater, cabaret, music and on television during her lengthy career. According to Kitt’s official Web site, she was nominated for a Tony three times, a Grammy and Emmy twice.

According to the biography on that site, Kitt lived in Connecticut near her daughter and four grandchildren.

Kitt was ostracized at an early age because of her mixed-race heritage, the biography says. At age 8, she was sent from the cotton fields of South Carolina by her mother to live with her aunt in New York City’s Harlem neighborhood, the site said.

As a teen, she auditioned for the famed Katherine Dunham Dance Troupe, was hired as a featured dancer and vocalist, and toured worldwide with the company.

This launched Kitt into a life of roles in the entertainment field.

According to the book “Contemporary Black Biography,” she was adored in Europe in the 1950s as a cabaret singer.

In the United States, her dance career led to a critically acclaimed stint on Broadway, including the play “New Faces of 1952,” which was later made into a movie.

Broadway stardom landed Kitt a recording deal that led to a string of best-selling records, including “Love for Sale,” “I Want to Be Evil,” “Santa Baby” and “Folk Tales of the Tribes of Africa.” She recorded more than 20 albums, worked in hundreds of television and movie roles, and was invited as a guest to the White House several times.

Me too! I still laugh when I think of her in the movie Boomerang. She was the Cougar that pursued Eddie Murphy. To here her purrrrr his name Marrrrr-cusss, was hilarious.I am so sad to hear she has passed.

We had been talking about her for the last two weeks at work because this coworker of ours does an amazing rendition of her in her various roles. Ms. Kitt was my girl! Wow, y‘all, I think my neighbors thought something happened to me because I screamed when I saw the post! My prayers with her family. She will definitely be missed by so many of us. Wow, wow..

I am so sad to hear about this. I was just talking about her last week and of course singing along with her to Santa Baby just last night and this morning. This is the first I’ve heard about her death.